Liverpool leading the race to sign Dani Alves

English giants Liverpool are rumoured to be closing in on a deal to sign Brazilian right-back Dani Alves from Barcelona this summer.

If reports of The Daily Express are to be believed, Reds’ boss Brendan Rodgers is willing to sign the 31-year-old as a replacement for English defender Glen Johnson, who has been inconsistent at the back and has faced severe criticism for his performance during his side’s 3-1 loss against Premier League rivals Manchester United in the International Champions Cup in Miami last night.

Alves, who moved to Camp Nou from Sevilla in 2008, had been put on the market after new boss Luis Enrique called for the need of younger talent in the Catalan squad.

With Alves’ contract expiring next year, Barcelona will be happy to lay the defender off, with reports also suggesting that they are looking to use the proceeds from his sale to bid for Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado from Serie A side Fiorentina.

Ligue 1 outfit PSG and Italian club Inter Milan were also reportedly interested in Alves, but the deals never came through.